CSP Anietie Eyoh, OC Anti-Kidnapping Unit, Nasarawa State Police Command
By Abasifreke Effiong
A Nigerian police officer leading investigation into the vandalisation of railway lines in Nasarawa state turned down N600,000 bribe offered by a Chinese Steel Company involved in buying of vandalised locomotive rail track sleepers.
Mr. Marra Thai, manager of the company, Yong Xing Steel Company located at Tunga Maje in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, was arrested by the police on Wednesday.
The steel company was identified as a big criminal receiver of locomotive rail track sleepers vandalised along the Benue – Narasawa rail line.
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The company’s legal adviser offered the police lead investigator in the operation, CSP Anietie Eyoh, the sum N600,000 in cash as bribe to wave off the Chinese company’s involvement in the crime. The officer rejected the bribe; he arrested the lawyer instead.
CSP Eyoh, who is the OC Anti-Kidnapping unit in Nasarawa State and his team had arrested 17 suspects including the Chinese who are members of a syndicate vandalising rail line in Nasarawa State.
The police team arrested the Special Assistant on Infrastructure to Nasarawa State Governor, two police officers attached to the SCID, a Civil Defence officer, and a staff of the Nigerian Railway Corporation, as part of the syndicate vandalising, stealing and selling locomotive rail line slippers recently constructed by the federal government.
Suspected railway vandals paraded by the Police in Nasarawa State.
The legal adviser to Yong Xing Steel Company, Barr. Nathaniel Oba, principal partner Nathoba and Co, located in Benin city, who reportedly offered the bribe to the Chief Superintendent of Police is in police detention alongside the procurement officer of the Chinese Steel Company.
“Nathaniel Oba – Principal Partner Nathoba & CO a law chamber in Benin city and the legal adviser to Yong Xing Steel Company Nigeria Limited offered six hundred thousand naira cash to bribe the investigating team of the Anti-Kidnapping unit to secure the release of his client”, the Police said on Thursday.
The cash was part of exhibits displayed by the police when the suspects were paraded on Thursday.
CP Bola Longe, Commissioner of Police, Nasarawa State, told journalists in Lafia that the police have made tremendous breakthrough in its “strategic anti-vandalism” operation.
He said the arrest of key suspects in the crime has “arrest the tide of the unwholesome” act.
CP Longe, while giving updates on the breakthrough by the police on the anti-vandalism operation lauded CSP Eyoh for rejecting the bribe and maintaining the high level of professionalism and integrity in the operations.
“Our men refused to take bribe. That is why I want to commend the officer in-charge of the State Anti-Kidnapping unit, Anietie Eyoh, he is Chief Superintendent of Police. He has been doing a great work. The more of him we have in the Nigerian Police, the better for the Nigerian state and the Nigerian society”.
The police Anti-Kidnapping team also rejected N160,000 offered to secure the release of a truck used to convey vandalised rail slippers to Yong Xing Steel Company in Abuja. The police had arrested the driver of the truck and impounded his vehicle.
Rail line slippers inside a car impounded by the Nasarawa State Police Command.
Two police officers, Inspr. Richard Joseph and Sgt. Mali Peter, attached to State Criminal Investigation Department, Lafia, and one Ibrahim Amegwa Usman – a personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps attached to Arm Squad, NSCDC’s, Command Headquarters, Lafia, were arrested and paraded by the police for collecting bribe from suspected vandals of rail track in Nasarawa State.
Vandals had ripped off railway slippers across communities and towns in Agyaragu Gofa , Lafia local government area and Angwan Alago in Kadarko district in Keana local government area.
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Sections of the Makurdi – Lafia – Jos rail line have been totally vandalised.
CSP Anietie Eyo has served as Commander of Operation Safe Delta in Delta State, Divisional Police Officer, B Division Asaba and Ebrumede Division in Delta State.
While in Delta State CSP Eyoh mobilised community members in the respective division and built world-class police stations both at B Division, Asaba and Ebrumede.
CSP Eyoh once told TNN television, an online TV that his dream was to build the most beautiful divisional police headquarters in West Africa and the best police hospital in Africa before his retirement.
